System of solar and gravitational energy

ABSTRACT

A liquid is evaporated by the sun, raised as vapor, condensed and stored in tanks. These tanks are connected to a turbine. Turbine is feed by the condensed liquid, and then the liquid is evaporated again.  
     The system is closed and the liquid has an intermediate boiling point between ambient temperature in sun areas (South) and ambient temperature in shade areas (North).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present invention is based on the Spanish application of patent n° P200002166, dated Aug. 30, 2000, that is priority.

[0002] Following patents are related with the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,901 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,476. The systems of both patents evaporate a fluid of low boiling point for the heat of sun and they use the vapor in a thermal machine. Then they cool and recover the liquid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Hydroelectric energy, that transforms the potential energy of water between two levels of a river in kinetic energy and electricity, it is solar and gravitational energy, because the energy that elevates the water is from the sum, through its evaporation, condensation and precipitation in rain or snow.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The natural process of the previous paragraph is capable of being imitated.

[0005] It takes advantage from temperature differences between sun areas and shade areas, evaporating, rising and condensing a liquid with intermediate boiling point between the temperature in sun areas and shade areas.

[0006] This system is closed and it has devices to control the boiling point, as an internal expansion camera with adjustable walls or a suction pump.

[0007] An advantage of this system is the possibility to store the collected solar energy in gravitational potential energy of the evaporated and condensed liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008]FIG. 1. General scheme.

[0009]FIG. 2. Section of an evaporation reservoir.

[0010]FIG. 3. Section of a vapor conduit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] It is schematized in FIG. 1.

[0012] It is the evaporation reservoir (1), the vapor conduit (2), the condensation tank (3) in high level, the heat radiator (4) located in the shade, the regulation valve (5), the conduit (6) that connects the tank (3) with a turbine-generator (7) and finally the turbine drainage channel (8) that returns the liquid to the evaporation reservoir (1).

[0013] With the reference (9) an orientation North-South is represented, where North is a sun area and South is a shade area.

[0014] The system is closed, containing a liquid whose boiling point is intermediate between the sun area temperature and the shade area temperature. Obviously, the system also contains the vapor of referenced liquid. The refrigerating liquids can complete these requirements to average ambient temperature. The system is thermally isolated, excepting the heating (1) and cooling (4) areas.

[0015] To adjust the boiling point to the ambient temperature of each moment, the pressure of the system is varied. The pressure is varied with an expansion camera with one of its walls movil, that is not represented in the FIG. 1. Another control of pressure is by means of a suction pump located at the entrance of the condensation tank (3).

[0016] Operating is as following: sun warms and evaporates the liquid of reservoir (1). The vapor, by be hot itself and by diffusion it rises until the condensation tank (3) through the vapor conduit (2), where it is condensed for exchange of its heat through radiator (4) which are located in shade. The liquid is stored in the tank (3). Utilitation of tank liquid is the traditional of a hydroelectric power system, feeding from high the turbine (7).

[0017] The evaporation reservoir is designed so that it receives the most possible energy. An appropriate design for reception of solar energy is schematized in the FIG. 2 that it shows a section of the reservoir. It is a glass or plastic trasparente cover (2) with low reflection index (2) over the whole reservoir (1). The walls of said reservoir are a interior copper coat or material of high solar absorption constant (3), and another external coat thermally insulating (4).

[0018] The vapor conduit for reception of solar energy is schematized in the FIG. 3, similar to FIG. 2, having the reference numbers the same meaning. This conduit is in the sun for maintain the vapor temperature the highest possible.

[0019] Other Embodiments of the Invention

[0020] Another embodiment is an evaporation reservoir located in a valley and several distributed condensation tank in the top of a mount, to the shade of a grove or in the North hillside of the mount, connected to a central tank of condensed liquid.

[0021] Finally the apparatus can be underground, being the evaporation reservoir in a deep level of high temperature, and the condensation tank in a colder high level, in the surface or in contact with a mass of water (ie. the sea). 

I claim for:
 1. Method for reception and storage of solar energy as gravitational potential energy of a liquid characterized by a system closed in whose interior it has a liquid with intermediate boiling point between ambient temperature in sun areas and ambient temperature in shade areas. This liquid is evaporated by action of solar energy, the vapor rises to a high level by diffusion and by ascendant power of hot gas. The vapor is condensed in a shade area in the high level of the system, being stored as liquid. Then the liquid is used in a conventional way to hydroelectric energy.
 2. Method according with claims 1 characterized in that the system is underground, the heat is obtained of a deep level of the earth and the cooling is obtained of a colder level, in the surface or in contact with a mass of water as the sea.
 3. Device for reception and storage of solar energy as gravitational potential energy of a liquid, characterized by an evaporation reservoir located in an hot area, a vapor conduit that transports vapor to condensation tanks in high level. The condensation tanks are located in cold areas and they are provided with heat interchangers with exterior. The system has other tanks for storing the condensed liquid. These tanks are connected with an hydroelectric energy system. The hydroelectric energy system is connected with the evaporation reservoir through a drainage channel, closing the cycle. The device is completely closed and isolated in all its parts except in evaporation reservoir and heat interchangers. To adapt the pressure of boil to the changes of temperature the device has an expansion camera with a mobile wall or a suction pump located at entrance to condensation tanks.
 4. Evaporation reservoir according with claim 3 for efficient reception of solar energy, characterized by a cover of transparent plastic or glass with low reflection index, and walls composed with a internal coat of copper or material with high solar absorption, and a external coat thermally insulating.
 5. Vapor conduit according with claim 3 for efficient reception of solar energy, characterized in that it has a similar structure to the evaporation reservoir of claims
 4. The conduit is located in the sum area. 